DUI Checkpoint Screens Drivers Leaving Joel Osteen Event

When the devout multitudes tried to leave the Joel Osteen "Night of Hope" worship event at the Valley View Casino Center on Friday, May 13, they were greeted by a DUI checkpoint.

At approximately 10 p.m., the 4100 block of Sports Arena Boulevard and access roads leading to Interstate I-8 and Mission Beach were narrowed to one lane, alongside which San Diego police personnel stood by.

Traffic was at a standstill on adjacent streets, as the Houston megachurch pastor reportedly sold almost every seat in the arena.

Not sure about how many were busted but I can tell you that I did not see anyone there totting beer to their seats. I am appalled that the SDPD has nothing better to do with their time than setting up this ill-advised DUI checkpoint WHEN 14,000 CHRISTIANS are leaving a revival! How about maybe going over to Pacific Beach and the Garnet Ave. bars full of drunks and ho's??? I bet they could have really made some good arrests over that way.

However their little Sports Arena Blvd. checkpoint only served to CLOG UP THE ALREADY CONGESTED STREET full of pious people trying to get on Interstate 8. It was ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!

Valley View Casino purchased the naming rights to the San Diego Sports Arena, just like "Qualcomm" Stadium and "Petco" Park. While not the best name, I like it better than the I PAY ONE CENTER, the Sports Arena previous naming rights holder.

There are several criteria for setting up a legally permissible DUI check point:

A supervisory officer must plan a roadblock and choose a location with a high incidence of alcohol-related accidents and arrests, and at a time when traffic volume is appropriate;

a neutral mathematical formula must be used to stop cars, like every third car; a highly-visible, well-lit lit area must be used along with warning signs and signals and clearly identifiable police personnel;

motorists must only be detained long enough to determine sobriety and only detained if signs of drunkenness are evident;

an area must be set up preceding the roadblock to allow motorists who choose not to go through the roadblock to avoid it;

and the public must receive advance notification and publicity that a checkpoint will be set during a specified time without revealing its exact location.

Considering all these requirements for a legal checkpoint, it seem someone didn't know or make the connection the event at the Valley View Sports Arena was a religious event.